There’s something other worldly that happens to a woman when she becomes a mother. There is an untapped well of strength that seems bottomless, and can be relied upon to see her and her family through the toughest of times. Whether it’s intuition that something is wrong with your child at a time where everyone is telling you it’s nothing, or superhuman strength or courage when an emergency hits, mums have got the goods. We did a little digging, and found six stories of mums who saved the day with extraordinary acts of heroism. Let’s celebrate the awesome strength that is a mother’s love – and give all the mums we know (including ourselves!) a pat on the back. You’re doing a great job.

Awesome mums you need to know about

Analia Bouter had a stillborn baby at 26 weeks – or at least that’s what doctors thought. But 12 hours later, on a hunch, Analia demanded to be taken to the hospital morgue to see her daughter’s body where she realised that her baby was very much alive. The bub, named Luz Milagros (Light Miracles in English) went on to survive for over a year, although medical complications tragically took her life just a few months after her first birthday. Still, were it not for Analia’s intuition, that precious year with Luz Milagros would have been lost. Image via YouTube

When a tornado tore down Stephanie Decker’s home around her, she knew she was the only thing standing between her kids and death. The mother of two wrapped her body around her children, protecting them from the destructive winds that bulldozed her home town in Indiana. It was only once the winds had passed that Stephanie realised she had been severely injured – she had a punctured lung and crushed legs, both of which had to be amputated – but her children didn’t have a scratch on them. Image via YouTube

In June 2009, Maureen Lee and her three-year-old daughter, Maya, were hiking in the woods of Squamish, a small town in British Columbia, Canada. Suddenly, a large cougar pounced, attacking the little girl and attempting to drag her away. Maureen launched herself at the animal, physically throwing it off her child and racing with Maya to a nearby home. The cougar clearly realised it would come off second best against a fierce protective mama, and the two escaped unharmed, but for a few scratches. Image via Thinkstock

Erika and her husband, Piet, were driving with their baby daughter, Demi, in their home town of Hercules, South Africa, when they interrupted an armed robbery. Piet, a policeman, gave chase with Demi and Erika still in the car. When the robbers suddenly turned and aimed their guns at her little girl, Erika didn’t hesitate, throwing herself in front of Demi and taking five bullets in the back in the process. Amazingly, both Demi and Erika survived the ordeal, Demi without a single scratch. Image via Thinkstock

In her hometown of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Angela has become the stuff of legends. In 1982, Angela’s son, Tony, was working underneath a Chevy Impala when it fell off the jacks, pinning him underneath. A middle-aged Angela didn’t hesitate – she lifted the car and held it up long enough for neighbours to pull Tony out.

They say the most dangerous animal is a mama bear whose cubs are being threatened but when Lydia came up against a polar bear in her small, northern Quebec village, it was the furry beast that came off second best. The giant predator attacked Lydia’s seven-year-old son and a friend, so Lydia leapt to their defence, fighting off the 450kg bear until locals arrived on the scene. They began shooting at the bear to scare it off, and Lydia, her son and his friend escaped relatively unharmed.